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"Mu Bai?!"
Dai Yutian cried out, body moving as fast as thought as he streaked toward Dai Mubai's position.
As the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, every move he made tugged at the whole battlefield like a single hair stirring the entire body.
His sudden dash instantly threw the field into turmoil.
"Hmph. You won't get past me so easily!"
A fellow Rank-95 Titled Douluo of the Tianlong Empire flashed in to bar Dai Yutian's way.
"Out of my way!"
With a thunderous shout, Dai Yutian lifted his hand—White Tiger Meteor Shower.
In a blink, the heavens were veiled in white streamers; orb after orb of white light fell like a skyful of meteors.
Formidable as it looked, it was only his fourth soul skill.
The Tianlong Titled Douluo snorted, swept up his blood-hued saber, and cleaved out arcs of crimson light that soared to meet it.
Rumble—!
Deafening detonations shook the sky as white and red split the firmament between them.
"Damn it! Begone!"
Dai Yutian's eyes were bloodshot, rage boiling over.
In the distance, Dai Mubai had been driven completely to the back foot. He was never Zhu Zhuqing's match to begin with; now, with one arm severed, he had no hope of victory at all.
Two years ago, even if Dai Yutian had watched Dai Mubai die before his eyes, he would not have lifted a finger.
The crown prince of the Star Luo Empire had already been decided.
At that time, Dai Weisi was, beyond doubt, the best heir.
But everything changed after the spirit master exchange meet at the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect two years prior.
His proudest heir died there, and his other sons—thanks to the inhuman succession system of Star Luo—were nearly wiped out by Dai Weisi's ruthless hand.
Dai Yutian himself had grown old; siring an heir in his twilight years was hardly realistic.
And the Star Luo Empire was no "traditional" monarchy. Those marquises who had broken through to Titled Douluo eyed the imperial seat like hungry wolves.
If he died, the Star Luo Empire might well change hands.
This was why, after seizing new power, he had pounced upon the Tianlong Empire without delay.
He never imagined that the third son in whom he'd placed no hope would still be alive.
Nor that the boy's soul power had reached the Soul Emperor realm—and that he seemed to have some murky tie to Sea God Island.
Now, Dai Mubai was clearly the best—indeed the only—heir he had left.
Even if Dai Yutian were to die, Dai Mubai, with Sea God Island at his back, could still secure the Star Luo throne.
If the Dai clan was not to decline in his hands, snatching Dai Mubai from death was imperative.
As these thoughts flashed by, Dai Mubai's trembling voice rang out again:
"Father, save me! Ah!"
He hadn't finished when five bloody furrows ripped across his back—fresh wounds welling like springs, the sight wretched beyond words.
That single "Father" struck Dai Yutian's heart like a hammer. He clenched his teeth and roared:
"Move! No matter what, we must save Mubai!"
He plunged forward in the lead. Only by doing so could he force the rest to act.
The Titled Douluo of Star Luo weren't fools; Dai Mubai's return to the empire was hardly in their interest.
But with the emperor and empress—Dai Yutian and Zhu Yali—both making a move, it would be indefensible for them to stand idle.
If the imperial couple died, the empire would splinter under the fief-holding Titled Douluo.
If they lived, those who failed to act would be called to account—if not killed, at least flayed of a layer of skin.
Helpless, the Star Luo Titled Douluo were forced to engage.
The Titled Douluo of Spirit Hall and Sea God Island exchanged bitter smiles. They had only just formed an alliance.
If they stood aside now, that fresh alliance might shatter in the next breath.
Chrysanthemum Douluo sent a covert voice transmission to his side:
"Don't throw your lives away. Each of you find a match at your level and grind it out. No heroics."
In their present state, a single misstep could mean death.
So picking a comparable opponent and dragging the fight out was the wisest course.
Dai Mubai bore the War God's legacy and had even attempted parts of the Sea God's trials.
That made him, in a sense, one of Sea God Island's own—compelling them to lend a hand.
In an instant, battle in the heavens reignited!
The numbers of Titled Douluo on both sides were evenly matched; none could break away to interfere in Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's duel.
Seeing this, Dai Mubai cursed under his breath. "Useless trash—the lot of you! Not one of you can help me?!"
As he spat the words, a black gleam flicked past the shoulder of his only remaining arm.
Rip— A fine line of blood traced after it.
"Argh!" Dai Mubai jerked his head and saw a gash on his shoulder, deep to the bone. "Damn it—how is that slut Zhu Zhuqing so strong?! I am the War God's heir!"
But Zhu Zhuqing's heart held no feeling for him—if anything remained, it was only the intent to kill.
"Dai Mubai. Two years, and you're still the same pathetic waste."
Her cool voice brushed his ear like the breath of an ice cave, making his scalp prickle.
Zhu Zhuqing's form before him blurred and faded—what stood there was an almost tangible afterimage!
Before he could react—pain lanced his waist.
Shhk!
A tearing sound split the air; agony flooded his body.
He glanced down—and sucked a cold breath.
A wound three fingers wide gaped across his waist, blood geysering out in a fountain he could not stanch.
His face blanched visibly; in the space of a blink, it was paper-white and bloodless.
Zhu Zhuqing gave him no chance to skulk away. Her sixth soul ring flared.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Ten-Shadow Burial!"
In a blink, she split into ten afterimages, each as lethal as the real body.
All ten unleashed Nether Hundred Claws; a storm of black light burst out of nothingness and raked down at Dai Mubai.
There was no room to dodge.
Dai Yutian's eyes cracked with blood. He roared, unwilling, "No!"
Zhu Yali called out too, pleading, "Zhuqing, for your 'Auntie'—spare Mubai! If you do this, the entire Zhu clan will pay for your actions!"
Though Zhu Zhuqing had severed ties with her clan, she was still only a girl in her teens—how could she be truly without feeling?
At Zhu Yali's cry, her assault hesitated for a hair's breadth.
And in that instant, the airtight storm of strikes opened a gap.
"Now!"
Dai Mubai seized on it. With his one remaining hand he yanked a matched pair—one large, one small—of iron pellets from his soul tool.
Tang Sect hidden weapon—Mother-and-Child Soul-Reaping Pellets (Zi Mu Zhui Hun Duoming Dan).
"Zhu Zhuqing—go to hell!"
He hurled the paired pellets and, at the same time, triggered the last life-saving measure he had earned from the War God's trials.
A soft white radiance flowed out to sheathe his body.
Bang!
The next heartbeat, the large and small iron pellets collided.
In an instant, a cloud of poisoned steel needles screamed outward—so fast they blurred beyond sight.
Even as an agility-type soul master, Zhu Zhuqing could not slip them now.
From those needles she felt the breath of death itself; a faint ripple stirred in her heart.
"So this is it? I'm going to die… I'm sorry, Teacher. I'm sorry, Oscar. I've disappointed you both."
(End of Chapter)